Jewelby-case h avi w interchangeable covee



8. DE L. HENDRY.

JEWELRY CASE HAVING INTERCHANGEABLE COVER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20. 1916.

1,305,241. Patented May 27,1919.

UNITED s'rArns rA'rE T OFFICE.

SAMUEL 1m LacY HENDRY, or convinces, c1110.

E LRY-case navmenv'rnacneuerartn 'covn'n.

Specification of Letters Patent.

r re e r 1291.

Applicati'on filed January 20, 1916. Serial No. 73,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, SAMUEL DE LACY HnNDRY, citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State .of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jewelry- Cases Having Interchangeable Covers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to store service appliances and more particularly to display trays especially adapted for displaying jewelry such as rings, brooches and pins,

lavallieres, etc.

Thedisplay tray forming the subject matter hereof does not differ greatly in appearance from the trays now in common use for similar purposes. However, the trays as connnonly employed are integral units as-' sembled complete in the factory or place of manufacture.

The fabric cover .or lining of the trays,

especially when of light color, becomes e'as-" ily and quickly soiled, requiringfrequentv replacement. Furthermore, such trays are commonly supplied only in standard or stock colors unless manufactured by special order.

The object of the present invention is .to simplify the structure of such display trays whereby they will not only .be'cheapened construction, but will be more 'efficientin use, and capable of renewal. A primary object'is to provide means by whichi-the covering or lining may be renewed or replaced easily, quickly and conveniently, thereby enabling the trays to bereused and the linings to be changedand varied at .will whereby .they will present a neat, attractive and clean appearance. V

A-further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the covers or linings may be interchangeable, thus enabling the merchant to employ at .will covers or linings of different materials, shades or colors to harmonize with various .color schemes of window for store decoration.

A further object {of the invention is -to provide improved means for retaining the displayed articles in position and to protect them against damage by being'scratched .or rubbed while being inserted in or removed from .the tray and furthermore .to provide efficient means for retaining the interchangeablecover or lining material in place.

-With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more .fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as

hereinafter described and set forth in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspect1ve view of the assembled tray, only a portion of the-lining of which has been provided with slits or incisionsto permit the insertion of rings. Fig. 2 is a trans verse sectional 'view .of the assembled tray. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the main body of the tray showing the method of' assembling same. Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating one mode of applying the interchangeable cover or lining. F ig.'-5 is a detail View of a has been shown inrectangular form, it is to be understood that it may be of any convenient or desired shape :or size.

The body 1 of the tray comprises a base or back 3 to which are secured a plurality of parallel bars or strips t-l. These bars or strips 4cl are preferably notched or recessed on their adjacent sides as at 5. The notches 5 of adjacent bars register one with the other to form pockets or recesses 6 arranged in spaced relation throughout the length ofthe bars or strips 44. InFig. 3,

at the left, there is show-none of the bars or strips detached from the main body while at the right ,there' is shown several of the bars or strips Q4 1 assembled upon the baseorback'3.

To prevent rubbing orscratching articles,

particularly rings, iriserted-Withinthe pockets or recesses 6, saddles or pads 7 of felt or wadding are provided. These saddles or pads '7 extend across the top or face of the strips or bars 4l and downward on opposite sides thereof in the notches or recesses 5. Thesaddles or pad's ofpacking material are secured to the'bars .4: by gluing or ce: menting and are preferablyfurther secured by means vof aco'ver-ingfiof fabric .or cloth 8 drawn tightly over the bars 4 and the pads and secured by being cemented or glued to said bars. It will be obvious, however, that the supplemental covering 8 is not essential and if so desired may be omitted from the construction. However, this supplemental covering is preferably used as it assists in holding the saddles or pads v7 in place and furthermore affords a finish for the body portion 1 when the interchangeable cover or lining has been removed.

The main body 1 comprising the base or back 3 and the padded and covered strips 44c secured thereto is proportioned to fit accurately within the inclosing frame 2, into which it is inserted from the bottom or under side. However, to compensate for inequalities of manufacturethe main body 1 is preferably provided about its marginal edges with a packing strip 9 of felt or rubber, or other yielding material which will be slightly compressed as the main body is inserted within the frame 2 and by its expansion and the friction afforded thereby serves to retain the main body 1 detachably engaged within the frame 2.

Before inserting the main body 1 within the frame 2, an interchangeable cover or lining 10, comprising merely a piece of fabric such as silk, satin or other suitable material cut slightly larger than the size of the tray, is laid loosely over the top of the main body 1. As the main body 1 is pressed within the frame 2 from the bottom the edges of the interchangeable cover or lining 10 are turned downward intermediate the edges of the body 1 and the inner faces of the frame 2 and are clamped in this position by the engagement of the body 1 and frame 2. As the main body 1 is pressed inward from the bottom or under side of the frame 2 the interchangeable cover or lining 10 is stretched tightly over the top of the body 1.

If the tray is to be used for displaying rings short slits or incisions 11 are then made with a sharp knife in positions registering with the pockets 6 through which the rings may be inserted into said pocket. It is obvious, however, that these slits or incisions may be previously made in the lining or cover in properly spaced positions to register with the pockets or recesses 6.

If the tray which might otherwise be used for the display of rings is desired for displaying brooches or pins, such articles may be pinned or attached directly to the interchangeable cover or lining 10. Likewise in displaying lavallieres or other devices the interchangeable cover or lining will be left uncut or unperforated. In Fig. 2 the interchangeable cover or lining 10 is shown stretched tightly across the face of the main body 1 with its edges 1O turned downward and clamped between the marginal edges of the body 1 and the faces of the frame 2. It

is to be understood that the main body 1 and the cover are always inserted into the frame 2 from the bottom, thereby causing the top surface of the cover to be stretched tightly over the body 1, In Fig. 4 there is shown a slight modification of this construction in which the base or back 3 of the body 1 is formed from flexible material, either metal, pulp board, or a thin pliable piece of Wood. The bars or strips l, formed as before described, are independently attached to the base or back 3, the construction being such that upon the flexing or bending of the back 3 to arcuate form as shown, crevices 12 will be opened intermediate the strips or bars 44. The interchangeable cover or lining 10 having been laid across the main body 1 and the body back or base 3 being flexed to open the crevices 12, the cover 10 is formed into a series of plaits 13 extended within the crevices 12 by means of a piece of thin cardboard, a knife blade or other thin device inserted within the crevices thus formed and by which the cover sheet is pressed into such openings. The cover sheet having been plaited or pressed into each of the succeeding crevices intermediate the bars or strips 44, the body 1 is released and the back or base 3 assumes its normal flat form, closing the crevices 12 upon the inserted folds or plaits 13 and thereby clamping the cover or lining 10 in place. The back or body is then inserted within the frame 2 in the same manner as before described causing the marginal edges of the cover or lining 10 to be clamped between the edges of the body 1 and the interior faces of the frame 2. In this instance it will not be necessary to pro vide the incisions or slits 11 as the folds or plaits 13 will extend through the pockets or recesses 6.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modification of the construction last described in which the frame of the main body 1 is formed of sheet metal folded or plaited upon itself to form a succession of inverted channel. like portions 14-1t connected one to the other.

The plaits or folds 15 intermediate the succeeding channel like portions l are broached or opened at intervals as indicated at 16 to form receptacles or pockets similar to the pockets or recesses 6 before mentioned. The integral body thus formed may be padded and covered in the manner before described. In applying the interchangeable cover or lining a piece of fabric is laid over the body and the body is flexed or bent as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 thereby opening the folds or plaits 15 into which the fabric is folded or plaited by means of a cardboard, knife blade or other thin article as before mentioned and the sheet metal body is then released allowing it to return to its normal form thereby clamping the folds or plaits of material within the plaits 15. It will be obvious from the construction thus described that the cover or lining 10 may be changed or replaced as often as it becomes soiled or it may be changed at will to harmonize with an color scheme or for the substitution of di erent material whereas heretofore ring trays, particularly when lined with white, were capable of service for a period of but a few days or at most a couple of weeks, after which the trays were discarded. It will be understood that by the use of the construction herein described it will be unnecessary to discard the entire tray but the lining or cover thereof may be changed as frequently as may be desired and the tray continued in use for long periods of time.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction, or arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

WVhile in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to certain structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific details, but that the means and construction herein described comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possible forms or modifications within the scope of the appended claim.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a display tray, a base, a series of bars superimposed on the base, said bars each having their opposite side edges formed with alined pairs of notches provlding a pair of spaced shoulders for each notch, said bars having their adjacent sides abutting and the pairs ofnotches in register, a series of in dividual saddles for each bar arranged thereon with their ends disposed in the respective pairs of notches and their side edges abutting the respective shoulders of the notches so as to be held thereby against movement longitudinally of the bars, compressible strips arranged over the outer sides of the outermost bars, and an inclosing frame within which the bars and base are insertible from the bottom thereof and being of a size so as to force the bars into engagement with each other and to engage said compressible strips so as to hold the bars and strips in frictional engagement with each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of January, A. D. 1916.

SAMUEL DE LACY I-IIENDRY.

Witness HARRY F. NOLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

